Ludwig wurzburg



(No Model.)

WURZBURG. ALING DEVICE.

' Patented Sept. 6, 1892.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

LUDWVIG YVIIRZBURG, OF LONDON, ENGLAND.

SEALING DEVICE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 482,216, dated September 6, 1892.

Application filed December 2, 1891. $erial No. 413,815. (No model.) Patented in England June 6, 1891, No. 9,633.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, LUDWIG WURZBURG, of London, England, have invented new and useful Improvements in the Construction of Nails or Spikes to Adapt Them for Use as Sealing Devices, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

My invention relates to improvements in the construction of nails, spikes, and analogous articles to adapt them for use as seals or sealing devices, (for which I have obtained a patent from Great Britain, No. 9,633, dated June 6, 1891;) and the object of my invention is to produce an article of the character described which may be used in fastening a box, case, or other package together, and which will indicate whether or not the box, case, or package has been tampered with in transit.

The great quantity of merchandise plundered by carriers, ships crews, dock-laborers, and other unprincipled persons renders it absolutely necessary to adopt some means of ascertaining at sight whether the case has been tampered with. To this end my invention consists in a nail, spike, or analogous article so constructed that whendriven into a package, case, or box it cannot be withdrawn therefrom without damaging or breaking the nail or without. snapping or breaking a thread, wire, or the like connecting two such nails.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the views.

Figures 1 and 2 are front and side elevationsofanailembodyiugmyinvention. Figs. 3 and 4. are top and bottom plans of the nail. Fig. 5 is a section on the line C D of Fig. 1. Fig. 6 is a section on the line A B in Fig. 2. Fig. 7 shows a section of a case with one of the nails driven therein, and Fig. 8 shows a section at right angles to Fig. 7 and the same nail when clinched. V

The nails, &c., constructed in accordance with this invention may be made of any suitable cross-section, preferably of an angled shape, and are provided with a fiat head, with a flange E, projecting at one side only, the other sides of the head being perfectly flush with the shank E. In a direction parallel to the direction of the flange the point of the nail is centrally split or bifurcated for a convenient distance up from the bottom, as shown at F in Figs. 1 and 5, and through each of the bifurcated ends G one or more holes or apertures H are made or formed right through the metal parallel with the cut or slit F. Nails so made are driven crosswise into the edges of the box, case, or package, as shown in Fig. 7, so as to pass through the side and top or bottom or through adjacent sides. The bifurcated ends of the nails are then opened out and flattened down at right angles or clinched into the box or case so as to be as nearly flush therewith as is practicable with no jagged edges. Before such clinching cords, strings, wires, and cords J or the like are or may be pressed through the holes or apertures H in one nail and also through the holes or apertures in an adjacent nail of the same construction, the ends of the cords, wires, or the like being drawn tight and knotted or otherwise secured together, so that the clinched-down parts of the nail cannot be raised without breaking or snapping such cords, wires, or the like. Should an at.- tempt be made to drive or draw the nail out by its heada blow on the flange E thereof will probably break the said flange ofl, or at any rate it will be practicably impossible to draw the nail out by means of such flange. As an additional security, if required, the head may have impressed or stamped thereon a cipher, initial, or other trade-mark which will be injured by any tool used to draw out the nail by the head.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent 1. As an improved article of manufacture, the nail for use in sealing boxes, &c., the same having a split shank whose lower portion is provided with one or more transverse apertures adapted to receive a sealing wire or cord, as shown and described.

2. The combination of two or more flanged nails having the lower ends of their shanks split and perforated, as described, with cords or their equivalents connecting the perforated portions of adjacent nails, substantially as described.

LUD. WURZBURG.

Witnesses:

ERNEST E. THOMAS, LUD. BRUssEL. 

